Retaining rings, which are often also referred to as "snap rings", are precision-engineered fasteners designed to provide an accurately located shoulder for positioning and securing components on shafts and in bores and housings. These retaining rings are extensively described in the prior art. Thus, for example, they are described on pages 11-1 to 11-45 of a book by Robert O. Parmley entitled "Mechanical Components Handbook" (McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1985), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
Many axial and radial retaining rings are designed to be assembled in a groove on a shaft or inside a bore or housing. One important class of axial and radial retaining rings are the wire-formed retaining rings, which are split rings formed and cut from wire of uniform cross-sectional size and shape; the wire is usually cold-dranw or rolled into shape from a continuous coil or bar, and then the gap ends are cut into various configurations for ease of application and removal. This class of retaining rings may be removed from grooved surfaces by the tool of this invention.
Flat retaining rings may also readily be removed from grooved surfaces by the tool of this invention. As those skilled in the art are aware, crescent-shaped rings, E-rings, and high-strength radially assembled rings are some of the types of flat retaining rings. The crescent-shaped rings have tapered sections; they are described, e.g., on pages 11-10 to 11-11 of said Parmlee book. The E-rings fucntion as large shoulders on small-diameter shafts; they are described, e.g., on page 11-11 of the Parmlee book. The high-strength radially assembled rings are relatively thick and have tapered-strength bending arms; they are described on pages 11-11 and 11-16 of the Parmlee book.
Applicant is not aware of any means provided by the prior art for readily and efficiently removing flat and/or radial wire-formed retaining rings from externally-grooved surfaces, such as, e.g., the surface of a shaft. It is applicant's belief that the method currently most widely used in the industry is to place screwdriver blades at each end of the retaining rings, apply forces at each of such ends in opposite directions, and balance such forces in a manenr such that the retaining ring is displaced from the groove. If the forces are not adequately balanced, the retaining ring may ride around the perimeter of the shaft in the groove.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for readily removing retaining rings from grooved surfaces.